PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The ousted president of the Community College of Philadelphia said he still doesn’t know why the school board placed him on immediate paid leave without warning last week.
Donald “Guy” Generals said he knew the CCP board didn’t want to renew his contract, which was set to expire in June. He was in the process of negotiating an exit when the Board of Trustees took its unexpected action on April 10.
“The administrative leave was the surprise part,” he said.
The board, in a statement, gave no reason for placing Generals on immediate leave, but said its decision complied with the Sunshine Act and was made “with a high degree of transparency and consideration.”
In 11 years as CCP’s president, Generals oversaw the creation of the city’s Octavius Catto Scholarship, and he pointed to a post-pandemic bounce in enrollment.
“I stand on my record,” he said. “You can’t change that. And I think that will enable me to pursue other opportunities. I’m not sure what those opportunities are, but I’m sure something will come up.”
In an interview with KYW Newsradio, Generals hinted that he might challenge the board’s decision.
“I think I am entitled to certain rights as an individual. I think there are certain laws that need to be followed. So I think there are questions about the process,” he said.
“It is not something that I’m going to accept, so I’ll leave it at that. And I would just say, stay tuned.”
The board said it will announce an interim president in the coming days.